The IAS advisory group is chaired by the IAS faculty director and composed of faculty from the arts, humanities, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences, as well as the IAS director. The faculty on the committee are selected from people who lead and participate in multiyear research initiatives at the IAS or are nominated by deans and other faculty, as part of their university service. The committee’s responsibilities are primarily organized around three areas:

Faculty Multi-Year Research Clusters

The IAS actively solicits proposals for multi-year and multidisciplinary thematic research clusters, with proposals reviewed on a revolving basis by the IAS Think Tank. These research clusters aim to bring faculty together across divisions and areas of expertise to apply their different methodologies to shared research questions around critical social and ecological issues. The resulting new information and creative research is brought to the public through collaborations with IAS curators to produce innovative art and research exhibitions in the IAS’s 6000-square-foot public gallery space, events, and publications. Proposals for research clusters are required to include potential sources of funding to be pursued in partnership with the IAS. IAS directors and the advisory committee will assess these and other potential sources of funding in reviewing all proposals. The advisory group meets twice a year with the research clusters to receive updates about the ongoing research and exhibition planning .

Faculty Spotlight Exhibitions

Proposals are accepted biannually with calls going out every other year in the spring quarter for faculty spotlight exhibitions to be held in the IAS Nion McEvoy gallery, which is approximately 1500 square feet. Faculty across the divisions are invited to apply. Proposals must include potential checklists of exhibition-ready artworks as well as technical and space requirements. Also requested is the context for the regional, national, international, or thematic significance of the artworks, as well as the significance of the exhibition for the faculty member’s research. The advisory group reviews and selects the winning applications. The IAS staff works with award recipients to finalize the checklist and exhibition layouts, providing their expertise and curatorial oversight. 

IAS Development and Operations

The advisory group reviews IAS programs, staffing, and operations, and assists in developing and achieving fundraising goals. They aid in the promotion of annual giving to the IAS and also garner corporate and foundation support, as well as federal and state grants, working in collaboration with the Office of Research, University Advancement, and the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations. 

Email Rachel Nelson (renelson@ucsc.edu) with questions.